1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular mirrors. More particularly, the present invention relates to large field-of-view vehicular mirrors. Even more particularly, the present invention concerns mirrors having a convex surface with an extended or uninterrupted field-of-vision.
2. Background of the Art
There have been substantial improvements in recent years in both vehicular mirrors, security mirrors and other convex type mirrors that have extended the field-of-view or vision for the user or operator of the vehicle.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,914 to Stout, et al., teaches an extended field of view mirror having a convex surface which is spherical, but which is ten inches in diameter. This mirror is commonly referred to as a "banana" mirror because of its shape. Due to its exterior width, though the mirror does have inherent disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,578 to Schmidt, et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an ellipsoidal convex surface vehicle mirror which is truncated to reduce the surface area of the mirror, but not the field-of-vision.
Each of the above mirrors, although substantially increasing the field-of-vision for the vehicle operator, still has a portion of the mirror that does not contribute to their respective viewing surfaces.
As is known to those skilled in the art, each of the prior art mirrors has a mirror frame or mounting gasket positioned at the edge or over the edge of the mirror. This gasket secures the mirror to a mounting frame. However, the gasket and the frame extend far enough into the reflecting area of the mirror so as to block the use of the surface of the mirror near the edge, except to reflect the gasket and the frame. This creates a blind spot in the field-of-vision for the operator.
To make this additional mirror surface available for use by a vehicle operator would greatly add to the safe operation of a vehicle. In the case of school buses, this additional mirror surface would greatly add to the safety of the children in and around the buses. It is to this to which the present invention is directed.